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Pass defense incomplete for Browns

Browns give up 10 touchdown passes in 2 games; Crennel says there's no excuse

By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Friday, Sep 21, 2007

BEREA: Safety Mike Adams sounded incredulous when told the Browns' defense has given up 10 touchdown passes in two games.

''We did? For real?'' Adams said. ''We're hurting, huh?''

Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals had career-highs against the Browns. Roethlisberger threw four touchdown passes, Palmer six.

Going into the game Sunday against the host Oakland Raiders, the Browns' defense ranks last in the league and 30th against the pass. What makes the 10 touchdowns more alarming is that the Browns surrendered 20 all of last season.

The statistic is so glaring that Internet wagering service Bodog has set an over-under of 31/2 for how many touchdowns the Browns will allow against the Raiders, even though starter Josh McCown will never be mistaken for Roethlisberger or Palmer.

''It does sound bad, but this is the NFL,'' Adams said. ''Peyton Manning had 49 touchdown passes (in 2004). It happens; it's part of the game.''

Browns coach Romeo Crennel would not agree with such logic.

''I don't think there are ever any legitimate reasons for giving up touchdowns, particularly the number we have given up in two games,'' Crennel said. ''It's not very good and we're going to have to do a whole lot better.''

The Browns have two young starters in the secondary free safety Brodney Pool and rookie cornerback Eric Wright. Strong safety Sean Jones blamed some of the problems on inexperience.

''We have some younger guys here,'' Jones said. ''But we're 1-1 right now. We're going to try to correct everything. We have the talent to get the job done. The more experience those guys get and we get working together, the better we'll become.''

Middle linebacker Andra Davis said communication has also been an issue.

''We've been playing at home, so it's been real loud,'' Davis said. ''Their offense can't hear, but we can't hear, either. We've got a lot of new guys on the defense, we've got to play together a lot better.''

Crennel was somewhat critical of Wright, the second-round pick from UNLV.

''He's representing himself and his ability pretty good, but I think he's finding out that the receivers and the quarterbacks in this league are pretty good, also,'' Crennel said. ''Sometimes I think he is in pretty good position, but he's finding out you need to be in great position to make the play in this league.''

Wright didn't dispute that assessment.

''I'm trying my hardest not to force things,'' he said. ''There's things I need to tighten up and I will.''

Asked how many touchdowns he's responsible for, Wright said, ''a couple.'' Those would be a 5-yard lob in the back of the end zone to Hines Ward of the Steelers and a 23-yarder to T.J. Houshmandzadeh of the Bengals that was nearly out of bounds.

''You've got a great quarterback throwing a great ball to a great receiver, who made a great play,'' Wright said of Ward's score. ''In order to come close to making a play on that, you've got to put yourself in great position. I was just in good position.''

As for Houshmandzadeh's, Wright said, ''I was supposed to maintain proper leverage, and I didn't. I basically had a mental lapse. That's something that I can fix easily.''

Crennel said the only similarities he can find on the 10 touchdown passes is a lack of execution and letting the ball be thrown over their heads.

''That's one of the things that we've been working on, to stay deep, know what our responsibility is,'' Crennel said. ''Make them complete them in front of us, so that we have a chance to come up and make the tackle.''

As dire as the situation seems, none of the Browns' defenders seem distraught.

''It's not like we're getting physically dominated,'' Davis said. ''It's a lot of mental errors and blown assignments. Those things are correctable. When you're getting physically dominated and blown off the ball, that's a different thing.''

 

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.

 

BEREA: Safety Mike Adams sounded incredulous when told the Browns' defense has given up 10 touchdown passes in two games.

Get the full article here.


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